Wide Receivers you need to Watch on Thanksgiving

NJ High School football isn't done quite yet. There is still plenty of ball to be played with the end of the state playoffs looming and one more day of holiday traditions. This Thanksgiving, we have a host of games to watch out for as there are elite receivers playing Thursday morning. With some on the list finishing their careers with one last hooray against their rival, the others can build off their performance and prepare for the 2025 season.    In Camden's playoff matchup against Point Pleasant Boro, [player_tooltip player_id='1228164' first='Malik' last='Redd'] put on a brilliant performance by making 6 catches for 107 yards. While they lost the matchup, Camden can still end their season on a good note by taking down rival Camden Eastside. Malik is one of the most impressive receivers of the entire Thanksgiving slate. A crisp route runner that can get in and out of breaks with speed, Malik can redirect defenders in the secondary, forcing them away from the route and giving himself a huge window to throw into. Just as impressive, Malik is a YAC specialist. Once the ball is in Malik's hands, anything is possible. Malik can apply that same quickness that he uses in his routes to make sharp cuts to navigate through traffic. Malik can turn a 5 yard curl into a 50 yard gain easy. With 40 receptions on the season, Malik turned that volume into 758 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns.      [player_tooltip player_id='1524381' first='Jack' last='Viola'] will look to help reverse his team's Thanksgiving luck with a big performance through the air today. Though Middletown North has lost the last four against Middletown South, Jack gives his team a reason to believe they can overcome their rival. Jack has shown off his speed all season long as he's ran right by defenders and torched them for long gains. When DBs line up against Jack, I think they underestimate how quick he can get off of the ball and how sudden he can make movements. Jack's quick foot work can tie up defenders feet and his breaks on his routes leaves them far behind for huge separation. Jack has been a go-to target for Middletown North all season long, as he's gotten loose for 662 yards and 5 receiving touchdowns.      Westfield will need to find success against Plainfield through the air if they want to continue their 5+ win streak against their rival. They are facing off against an extremely talented secondary for Plainfield, so players like [player_tooltip player_id='1198348' first='Sebastian' last='Magherini'] will need to find ways to get open to help move the ball down the field.   There's good reason to believe Sebastian can be the productive receiver Westfield needs, as the last time he stepped on the field Sebastian brought one touchdown in and racked up 113 yards. Sebastian has been one of the more impressive receivers in his division this season. A deadly deep ball threat, Sebastian has run clean routes all season long, often using the stutter step to stun defenders and continue to run by them. As a pass catcher, Sebastian consistently comes down with the ball by getting vertical to catch it at its highest point, and also contorting his body with exceptional body control to come down with the catch. Sebastian has 509 yards and 4 touchdowns on the year so far, but don't be surprised if he makes it to the end zone on Thursday.      If Wall wants to get by Manasquan, they will have to find a way to get the ball to their playmakers such as [player_tooltip player_id='1557299' first='Heath' last='Reinhardt']. Wall narrowly squeaked by Manasquan in last year's matchup, as they won 21-20. Entering this year's contest with an 8-2 record, Wall is in a good position to go back-to-back in the rivalry. The junior WR doesn't have a height advantage over his opponents, however, he makes up for it with quick feet, agile movement across the field, and a pair of strong hands. There are countless examples of Heath coming down with the ball in traffic, or racking up YAC with nimble movement through the secondary. Thanksgiving will give us a good sense of Heath's capabilities for his senior season. While he didn't put up massive numbers in 2024 (410 offensive yards and 7 offensive touchdowns), it's obvious he will be a focal point in Wall's offense next season.      A playmaker on both sides of the ball, Tenafly can rely on O'Shea Liles to make a big play when they need it the most. O'Shea isn't the biggest receiver you'll come across, but in 2024 he was able to use his quickness, football IQ, and ball tracking skills to not only make an impact offensively, but also be a turnover machine on the defensive side of the ball. With great concentration and hand eye coordination, O'Shea was able to make the most of his opportunities this season as he's caught 18 passes for 363 yards and 3 touchdowns. Even more impressive, O'Shea's receiver skills translated to his play in the secondary, as he was able to pick the ball off 6 times so far this season.   Tenafly is squaring off against rival Dumont, a team they have not beaten in a long time. O'Shea will look to end his career by helping Tenafly end that losing streak.

NJ High School football isn't done quite yet. There is still plenty of ball to be played with the end of the state playoffs looming and one more day of holiday traditions. This Thanksgiving, we have a host of games to watch out for as there are elite receivers playing Thursday morning. With some on the list finishing their careers with one last hooray against their rival, the others can build off their performance and prepare for the 2025 season.